


原生之罪 | Original Sin

by The_Sassiest_Trixster



Series: S.C.I. 谜案集 [15]
Category: S.C.I.谜案集 | S.C.I. Mystery (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Detectives, Alternate Universe - Lawyers, Alternate Universe - Police, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst with a Happy Ending, Blood and Violence, Canon-Typical Violence, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Friends to Enemies, Heavy Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Major Character Death...Sort of?, Police Procedural
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-17
Updated: 2021-03-25
Packaged: 2021-03-25 19:41:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 15,780
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30094158
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Sassiest_Trixster/pseuds/The_Sassiest_Trixster
Summary: It was a bright morning as a tall man with light skin, brown eyes, and black hair by the name of Dr. Zhan Yao stood before a mirror, dressed in the ceremonial uniform of the Hua City Police.  As he stood before the mirror, his mind slowly wandered back to the past, his eyes slowly shutting as he let it wander.“Zhan Qitian has been convicted for the charges of serial murders.  No parole is allowed for any reason” a male voice boomed in his head.“The East Island pervert from twenty years ago was finally captured” a female voice declared.“A policeman must take his responsibility seriously” another male voice declared.  After listening to the voices, Zhan Yao’s eyes snapped open and he looked at himself in the mirror.
Relationships: Bai Yutong/Zhan Yao
Series: S.C.I. 谜案集 [15]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1773247
Comments: 16
Kudos: 3





	1. Case 1: Serial Jealousy - Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> Y'all...this story is going to be gritty and fucked up, and not nice at times. I hope you all are prepared for that. There will be some cute parts/nice parts but...just be prepared for a wild ride.
> 
> Dialogue from 原生之罪 | Original Sin. Everything else is all me

It was a bright morning as a tall man with light skin, brown eyes, and black hair by the name of Dr. Zhan Yao stood before a mirror, dressed in the ceremonial uniform of the Hua City Police. As he stood before the mirror, his mind slowly wandered back to the past, his eyes slowly shutting as he let it wander.

_“_ _Zhan Qitian has been convicted for the charges of serial murders. No parole is allowed for any reason”_ a male voice boomed in his head.

_“_ _The East Island pervert from twenty years ago was finally captured”_ a female voice declared.

_“_ _A policeman must take his responsibility seriously”_ another male voice declared. After listening to the voices, Zhan Yao’s eyes snapped open and he looked at himself in the mirror. 

~*~*~*~*~

A little while later, at the Hua City Prison, Zhan Yao was walking across a bridge that connected the large prison while another man, a tall man with light skin, brown eyes, and short red-brown hair, dressed in in white pants, white high-tops, a white dress shirt, white leather jacket, and a navy blue tie by the name of Bai Yutong, walked towards him, both men stopping once they met in the middle. They looked at each other for a moment before they walked past each other, neither man glancing back to look at the other. 

~*~*~*~*~

That evening, at the Hua City Police Station, Zhan Yao, no longer dressed in his ceremonial police uniform but instead was dressed in a navy blue turtleneck overlaid with a navy blue trench coat, and black combat boots, walked into the Criminal Investigation Unit, carrying a rolled up case in his hand. He then walked over to one of his subordinate’s desk.

“Dr. Zhan” they greeted.

“Give me the file” Zhan Yao ordered. The man nodded and handed him a file.

“They’re all in there. The photos have been developed” he replied. Zhan Yao raised an eyebrow.

“All of them?” he asked as he took the file. The man nodded.

“Yeah, all information relating to the victim, Duo La, and the evidence from the crime scene are all here” he replied as Zhan Yao opened the file and pulled out the photos, looking at them.

“Dr. Zhan!” a voice called out, making Zhan Yao walk away from the man’s desk, thanking him before he walked away. 

“I’ve been interrogating the subject for over half a day. That fellow, Bao Yu, refuses to confess anything” one of Zhan Yao’s detectives grumbled. Zhan Yao looked at him before he clapped him in arm, telling him to go rest as he headed towards the interrogation room.

“Zhan Yao, it’s already been twenty-three hours” Zhan Yao’s boss, Bao Heizei, called out from his office. Zhan Yao looked at him before he turned and headed into the interrogation room and pushed open the door, motioning for the two officers inside to get out. 

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, in his office, Police Chief Bao Heizei was looking through photos before he came upon a photo of a beautiful young woman. He stopped and stared at her, a frown on his face.

~*~*~*~*~

In the interrogation room, Zhan Yao looked at officer behind the glass who was recording the interrogation and made a slicing motion at his throat, telling him to shut off the recordings. The officer did as he was told and cut the recordings, allowing Zhan Yao to do as he pleased. Once the cameras were off, he unrolled his case full of different types of needles and skewers and began neatly arranging them in front of his suspect, Bao Yu. Once all the needles were neatly arranged, Zhan Yao calmly looked up at Bao Yu.

“Which one?” he asked. Bao Yu stared at him for a moment before he began to laugh before he looked down at the needles and skewers.

“Which one? This?” he asked, motioning to the case. Zhan Yao calmly looked at him, eyes flicking to black.

“Killed by skewers. Are you insane?” he hissed as Bao Yu continued to laugh. Zhan Yao then reached over and opened the file that he had been given, pulling out a photo of a very beautiful young woman, holding it up for Bao Yu to see.

“Duo La stayed in your house for a week. What did you do?” he asked. Bao Yu shook his head.

“She didn’t stay for a week! She came to ask me for tattoos. She left after two days. She didn’t let me touch her. What else could I do but tell her to scram? That’s it” he replied. Zhan Yao hummed before he walked around the interrogation room table and over to Bao Yu, leaning over him, looking into him with his soulless black eyes.

“Which skewer?” he asked. Bao Yu looked at him before he just laughed, only to have Zhan Yao grab him by the front of his shirt and slam him into the interrogation room table.

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, on the Jinma Bridge, a young couple was stranded on the side of the road, since their car had broken down.

“There’s no way a plane can catch up! I told you not to deliver it but you insisted” the young woman grumbled as the husband slammed the hood down. The young woman then waved for a passing car to stop and help but no one stopped. Just then, a car was slowly driving towards them, its lights shining bright in their faces.

“Looks like this car’s stopping” the husband mused before he began waving his arms. However, the car didn’t slow down as it came closer to them and instead sped up, causing the husband to grab his wife and pull her out of the way.

“Watch out!” he exclaimed, yanking his wife out of the way as the car crashed into the back of their car, its trunk popping open. The husband then looked at the wife with wide eyes.

“Are you okay?” he asked. The wife nodded, making the husband spin and face the other car.

“God! Do you even know how—” he started when he noticed that there was no driver in the driver’s seat. 

“What the hell?” the man whispered, his wife following behind him as they studied the car. They then slowly walked over to the open trunk and peeked inside, only to find a dead woman’s body. The wife let out a scream and buried her face in her husband’s shoulder, absolutely horrified.


	2. Case 1: Serial Jealousy - Part 2

At a rather fancy club, patrons were dancing and having a good time as they drank and partied while the owner of the bar, Bai Yutong, walked around, making sure that everyone was having a good time. As he walked around, he noticed a familiar face, much to his surprise.

“President Liu! Why are you here?” he nearly shouted as he shook the man’s hand and bowed at the same time.

“Long time no see” President Liu replied. Bai Yutong smiled as he motioned up and down to the man.

“You dressed so well today!” he started before he noticed that a button was out of place.

“Wait, let’s button that up. Now that’s nice looking!” he declared when he stepped back. President Liu smiled and motioned to the drinks on the table.

“Come, let’s drink” he suggested. Bai Yutong and took a glass, cheering with President Liu, making sure to take only a small sip of the alcohol before placing the glass down. He then looked at the girls that were next to President Liu, giving them all a look.

“Take good care of President Liu” he instructed before he smiled at President Liu.

“See you later” he bid, only to stop by another table, eyes widening in shock.

“What are you doing here, man?” he asked, clapping hands with another patron.

“Came to party, man” the patron replied. Bai Yutong smiled and gently tapped the man’s face.

“I missed you” he declared. The man smiled.

“I missed you too” he replied. Bai Yutong then placed his hand on the man’s shoulder.

“How’s your dad?” he asked.

“My father doesn’t know about this, bro” the man replied. Bai Yutong smiled before he fist-bumped the man.

“I won’t say anything” he assured. The man nodded.

“Okay” he replied. Bai Yutong then turned to look at his second in command, Zhao Fu.

“Come, get that whiskey from last time for three thousand” he instructed. Zhao Fu nodded and walked ahead, Bai Yutong following behind when one of his girls grabbed him by the arm.

“President Bai, he keeps groping me. It’s so annoying” she whined. Bai Yutong frowned.

“Is that true?” he asked. The girl nodded.

“Yes” she replied. Bai Yutong hummed.

“Alright, listen to me now. Fifteen minutes. After fifteen minutes, let him open a bottle of wine. Then you can leave. Okay?” he suggested. The girl nodded.

“Okay” she replied. Bai Yutong nodded.

“Good” he agreed, the young woman heading back to sit next to the guest she was entertaining. Bai Yutong nodded to them and continued to walk away, letting out a sigh before he looked over at Zhao Fu.

“Go get Li Li, quick. Can’t you tell I’m really tired? Where did she go?” he demanded, just as a beer bottle smashed at his feet, making him start before looking over to see two men in black holding a tall young woman with light skin, brown eyes, and shoulder-length red-brown hair dressed in a skimpy red patent leather outfit. Bai Yutong blinked at the mess that the splattered beer made on his white pants before he looked over at the person who threw the beer bottle.

“Liu-ge, what’s making you so upset?” he asked. The man, Liu-ge, said nothing as he pointed to the girl in red.

“Where did this girl come from? She has no manners. I only held her shoulders; she dared to push me away” he growled. Bai Yutong frowned before he looked over at the girl, eyes widening when he recognized her.

“Ma Han?” he whispered. When Liu-ge continued to just look at him, waiting for him to do something, Bai Yutong sighed and schooled his expression before he glared at Ma Han.

“You’re only a wine salesgirl, what are you doing? Get out of here” he ordered, placing his hand on the back of Ma Han’s head, shoving her away.

“Sorry” he whispered as he shoved her away. As soon as she was gone, Bai Yutong made to walk away when Liu-ge’s men stopped him, making Zhao Fu take a step forward.

“President Bai. It’s not appropriate to be so protective of your people” Liu-ge scolded. Bai Yutong huffed as he shoved Liu-ge’s men off him.

“Liu-ge, I’m only protecting my place. Right?” he replied. Liu-ge just slammed down his glass, making Bai Yutong sigh before he looked at him.

“You’re here to play around, but don’t treat this place as a garbage dump, throwing your bottles around. Okay?” he asked. Liu-ge looked at him before he slowly stood to his feet, his two men taking a step closer to Bai Yutong.

“That’s odd. Who allows you to speak so arrogantly?” he asked. Bai Yutong just chuckled as he patted on of the men on his chest before roughly shoving him away as he took a step towards Liu-ge.

“Look here. You don’t know what kind of business I’m in, but I…know what you do. Once hell breaks loose, I know what I need to do to you. Isn’t that right? Congressman Liu?” he whispered, making Liu-ge, who was actually Congressman Liu, look over at him with wide eyes. Bai Yutong smiled devilishly before he schooled it to a more playful smile.

“In our place, let’s just have a good time. If anything happens, I can close my place. But your position as Congressman, can you bear to leave it?” he asked, a threat in his words. Congressman Liu looked at him before he huffed and looked away. Bai Yutong looked at him before he put on a fake smile and patted Congressman Liu on the chest.

“I’m sorry. Liu-ge, I apologize to you” he declared before he clapped his hands over his head and bowed low to Congressman Liu. When Congressman Liu didn’t look back at him, Bai Yutong sighed heavily before he stood up and looked over at Zhao Fu.

“Open a bottle” he ordered. Zhao Fu nodded and handed him a bottle as he looked back at Congressman Liu.

“Liu-ge, to show my sincerity” he declared before he uncorked the bottle and downed it, placing the empty bottle down on the table. Everyone looked at him in shock before Congressman Liu burst out laughing. Bai Yutong then smiled.

“Let’s be happy” he declared. Congressman Liu laughed and clapped Bai Yutong on the shoulder.

“That’s interesting. I am happy” he declared. Bai Yutong smiled and threw his arms around Congressman Liu, hugging him, before he pulled away.

“It’s alright” he declared before he looked at the rest of the men around him.

“Okay, enjoy yourselves!” he exclaimed, motioning for them to sit down before he “stumbled” backwards into Zhao Fu, who took him by the arm and led him away as Congressman Liu and the people that were with him ordered more drinks.

~*~*~*~*~

“What was that odd taste in today’s apple juice?” Bai Yutong asked as he and Zhao Fu walked away from that whole mess.

“We ran out of apple juice. Added some iced tea. Plus something else” Zhao Fu replied. Bai Yutong made a face.

“No wonder it tasted gross. Get me some water” he ordered. Zhao Fu nodded and poured him a glass of ice water as he motioned to Congressman Liu’s table.

“This table, at twenty thousand, cut them off. Understand?” he asked. Zhao Fu nodded and walked away as Ma Han walked over to him.

“Bai Sir. Thank you for before” she thanked. Bai Yutong looked over at her and huffed.

“What the hell are you doing here? Why aren’t you still with the police?” he asked. Ma Han shrugged. 

“Got bored” she replied. Bai Yutong raised an eyebrow.

“Of sniping people? Really?” he asked. Ma Han nodded.

“It gets boring after a while. And besides, a police salary isn’t going to cover the medical bills of my sick and elderly grandmother. So this is how I’m making money to pay off the bills” she replied. Bai Yutong frowned.

“You know that you won’t make that much money off of this alone, right?” he asked. Ma Han nodded again.

“I know. But I have some money saved up that I plan on using to help pay the bills” she explained. Bai Yutong hummed.

“Hey, do you know where Li Li went?” Ma Han asked. Bai Yutong frowned.

“No, why?” he replied. Ma Han huffed.

“She owes me money” she answered. Bai Yutong raised an eyebrow.

“She owes you money?” he repeated. Ma Han nodded.

“Mhm” she replied. Bai Yutong huffed.

“She also owes me money” he grumbled, taking another sip of his water before he looked at Ma Han.

“You’re friends with her?” he asked. Ma Han nodded.

“Mhm” she replied. Bai Yutong hummed.

“That’s interesting. She got you here but left on her own after only a few days” he murmured. Ma Han huffed.

“She didn’t get me here; she just suggested the job. And I went to check on her, she hasn’t been to her house for a few days” she stated. Bai Yutong hummed before he crossed his arms.

“And what does that have to do with me?” he asked. Ma Han fixed him with a look, just as Zhao Fu walked over to them.

“Bai Sir” he called out, making Bai Yutong look over at him before he noticed a pretty young girl walking behind him.

“What’s your name?” he called out, making the girl walk over to him.

“Serene” she replied. Bai Yutong nodded.

“Serene, from now on, you will supervise all the salesgirls. Do you understand?” he asked. Serene nodded.

“I understand” she replied. Bai Yutong nodded.

“Thank you, President Bai. Thank you” Serene thanked, walking away from them as Bai Yutong turned Zhao Fu.

“What is it?” he asked. 

“We found Li Li” Zhao Fu declared. Bai Yutong looked at him before he huffed.

“Found her? Don’t let her come back. You can tell her I don’t want the money anymore” he grumbled. Zhao Fu sighed.

“Bai Sir, Li Li’s dead” he deadpanned, making Bai Yutong and Ma Han look at him with wide eyes. 

“Dead?!” they exclaimed at the same time.

~*~*~*~*~

Back at the Hua City Police Department, in the interrogation room, Zhan Yao was holding Bao Yu’s head down on the table, forcing him to look through the different types of skewers.

“Seems like it’s this one. No…no” Bao Yu murmured as he put one skewer back before picking up another one.

“Maybe this one” he stated before he began laughing again.

“Figure it out for yourself. Which one did I use to skewer her?” he sneered. Zhao Yao’s patience was wearing thin, so he just let Bao Yu go before he kicked over the table, sending Bao Yu flying forward with the table, since his hands were cuffed to it. Just then, Bao Heizei walked in and raised an eyebrow.

“What are you doing?” he asked, making Zhan Yao look over at him.

“Interrogating” he replied. Bao Heizei hummed.

“Then you should go to Jinma Bridge. Another woman died. In her thirties” he stated. Zhan Yao huffed.

“I’m busy” he replied.

“I’m telling you, she was also skewered in the neck. Dr. Zhan, are you sure you want to continue interrogating here?” Bao Heizei asked. Zhan Yao looked at him with black eyes before he sighed, eyes returning to normal.

“Jinma Bridge, right?” he asked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	3. Case 1: Serial Jealousy - Part 3

Later on that morning, Zhan Yao arrived at the scene as CSU and his team were working on the cars, searching for evidence, taking photographs, everything standard for a crime scene. As he parked his car and got out, reporters immediately swarmed him.

“Dr. Zhan, please tell us something” one reporter asked. 

“A second victim appearing in such a short span of time. Can you reveal some information to us?” another reporter asked. The entire time, Zhan Yao said nothing and let the police officers deal with the reporters, keeping them away from him as he walked underneath the police tape. Just then, one of his teammate, Jiang Ling, a woman of average height with fair skin, brown eyes, and curly light brown hair, walked over to him.

“Dr. Zhan” she greeted.

“Did you just get here?” Zhan Yao asked. Jiang Ling nodded just as a young man of average height with light tan skin, brown eyes, and curly brown hair named Bai Chi came jogging over to them.

“Dr. Zhan!” he greeted. Zhan Yao nodded to him as the three of them walked onto the scene.

“Did anyone touch the body?” Zhan Yao asked as he summoned a pair of gloves, slipping them on.

“No one dares. Only Gongsun touched it. Anyway, I was watching it” Bai Chi replied.

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, down by the river in a remote area, Ma Han, no longer dressed in her skimpy red outfit but instead was dressed in black shorts, a red tank top, an army green cheongsam jacket, and black tennis shoes, walked down the embankment towards the river, stopping when she saw the body of a young woman lying face down in the river. Her eyes began to fill with tears as Bai Yutong, Zhao Fu, and Wang Shao, another one of Bai Yutong’s men, stood at the top of the embankment.

“Is that Li Li?” Bai Yutong asked, looking over at Zhao Fu.

“Yeah, it’s Li Li” he replied. Bai Yutong sighed before he, Zhao Fu, and Wang Shao ran down the embankment and over to the body. Bai Yutong then knelt down and looked at the body of the young woman before he sighed deeply and looked up at Zhao Fu.

“It’s her” he murmured before he snapped his fingers.

“Take off your jacket” he ordered, pointing at Wang Shao.

“What?” Wang Shao asked, frowning. 

“Take off your jacket!” Bai Yutong snapped, shooting him a glare. Wang Shao nodded and quickly took off his jacket, handing it to Bai Yutong, who then motioned to the body.

“Flip her over” he ordered. Wang Shao and Zhao Fu nodded as they quickly flipped her over onto her back, Bai Yutong immediately covering the girl’s face with Wang Shao’s jacket. Wang Shao and Zhao Fu then lifted the girl out of the water and placed her on the embankment. Bai Yutong then knelt down next to the body, studying it.

“How many days since has she been dead?” he asked, glancing over at Ma Han, who looked like she was trying very hard not to cry. Bai Yutong’s face softened and he sighed.

“Ma Han” he called out softly. Ma Han blinked before she wiped her eyes and sniffled.

“She’s been missing since the thirteenth. I couldn’t get through her cellphone” she replied. Bai Yutong hummed as he looked at his watch.

“It’s been three days” he murmured before he looked at Ma Han.

“You got gloves on you?” he asked. Ma Han nodded and pulled a spare pair out of her shorts pocket.

“Always carry them on me” she replied. Bai Yutong smiled and took the gloves, slipping them on before he turned Li Li’s head, noticing multiple puncture wounds in her neck. 

“She was skewered to death” he growled, eyes glowing white.

~*~*~*~*~

At the scene on the bridge, Zhan Yao was also looking at the young woman, moving the ropes that were tied around her wrist slightly before he studied the knot of the ropes itself.

“The knots are the same as well” he declared.

“Crazy. Already killed two people and yet they still don’t know how to tie a knot. Looks like tying shoelaces” Bai Chi mumbled. Zhan Yao hummed before he walked away from the trunk and over to the car, opening the back door when Bai Chi’s eyes widened.

“Dr. Zhan, Luo Tian says we can’t get inside this car. Wait until we tow it back” he insisted. Zhan Yao then shut the door before he looked at Bai Chi.

“Why don’t you go work with Luo Tian then?” he snapped before he opened the driver’s door and got into the driver’s seat. Meanwhile, Luo Tian, a tall man with tan skin, brown eyes, and short black hair, looked up to see Zhan Yao inside of the car. He sighed before he looked at a police officer.

“Xiao Zheng!” he called out, making the officer look over at him.

“Yes?” he called back. Luo Tian pointed to the husband that he was talking to.

“Watch him” he ordered. The police officer nodded and ran over to the man as Luo Tian walked over to the car and peered inside.

“Dr. Zhan” he called out, making Zhan Yao look over at him.

“Better not touch that now. Wait until we bring it back” he suggested. Zhan Yao looked at him before he continued searching the car.

“Did you check for prints?” he called out.

“There was none on the steering wheel. Must’ve worn gloves to drive. It rolled over in neutral” Jiang Ling replied.

“Where are the cell and wallet?” Zhan Yao asked as he looked through the glove compartment.

“None found. Kind enough of them to keep the clothes on the body” Bai Chi replied. Zhan Yao hummed as he continued to search the glove compartment until he found a small little wooden keychain. His eyes widened and he quickly got out of the car, handing the keychain over to Bai Chi.

“Take this back for testing. Check for prints other than the victim’s” he ordered. 

“Yes sir” Bai Chi replied as Zhan Yao placed his hands on his hips.

“Where’s Gongsun?” he asked. 

“Probably sleeping in some car” Bai Chi replied. Zhan Yao hummed before he turned and walked away from the car as Bai Chi looked at Luo Tian.

“Luo-ge, do you have an evidence bag?” he asked. Luo Tian nodded and took the keychain from Bai Chi, placing it inside an evidence bag.

~*~*~*~*~

At the river, Ma Han pulled out her phone, making Bai Yutong look over at her.

“What are you doing?” he asked. 

“Going to call the police” she replied. Bai Yutong’s eyes widened and he shot to his feet.

“Ma Han, we can’t call the police!” he exclaimed. Ma Han frowned.

“Why not? They have every right to take the body and investigate” she argued. Bai Yutong sighed.

“Ma Han, please. Don’t call the police” he begged. Ma Han looked at him before she sighed and placed her phone back in her pocket.

“Bai Sir, what’s the situation?” Wang Shao asked. 

“Does Shen Lu know of this matter? Just in case this was done by our own people” Bai Yutong stated. Wang Shao looked at him before he nodded.

“Bai Sir, what do we do now? We can’t leave Li Li here” Zhao Fu stated, motioning to Li Li’s body. Bai Yutong sighed deeply, thinking, before he looked at Zhao Fu.

“Find a space at the Hua City Funeral Parlor. Get one with cold refrigeration” he ordered. Zhao Fu nodded.

“Understood” he replied.

“Take care of her well” Bai Yutong instructed. Zhao Fu then frowned.

“How many days should I rent it for?” he asked. Bai Yutong groaned.

“I don’t know!” he snapped. Zhao Fu blinked before he nodded and quickly motioned for Wang Shao to help him pick up the body and carry it back up the embankment. Once they were gone, Ma Han crossed her arms.

“Why aren’t we calling the police?” she asked, raising an eyebrow. Bai Yutong sighed.

“Because do you know who will come to the scene if we call the police?” he replied. Ma Han frowned and shook her head.

“Zhan Yao” Bai Yutong deadpanned. Ma Han’s eyes widened in understanding.

“Isn’t he the one who stripped you of your license and barred you from ever taking the exam again?” she asked. Bai Yutong nodded.

“That’s the one” he replied. Ma Han then frowned.

“But…weren’t you two friends?” she asked. Bai Yutong huffed.

“Once upon a time” he grumbled. Ma Han hummed before realization hit her.

“I gave all my money to Li Li for safekeeping and now she’s dead. Fuck, how am I going to pay my bills now?!” she exclaimed. Bai Yutong frowned.

“I thought you said you had some money stored away” he reminded. Ma Han gave him a look.

“Yeah, with Li Li! I can’t hide it at my apartment because my landlord is shitty and likes to go through my things when I’m not home, stealing whatever money he finds!” she exclaimed. Bai Yutong frowned.

“What about the bank?” he asked. Ma Han sighed.

“I have some stored away, but not enough to pay both rent and hospital bills. I’m specifically saving that money for the hospital bills. Everything that I gave Li Li was money that I use for rent and to pay my bills as well as food” she explained. Bai Yutong sighed as well. 

“I’d love to help you, really, but you can’t work at my nightclub anymore. Especially after you pissed off Congressman Liu” he explained. Ma Han huffed.

“If he hadn’t tried to feel me up, I wouldn’t have shoved him away” she grumbled. Bai Yutong sighed.

“I know…I’m sorry about that” he apologized. Ma Han shrugged.

“I appreciate you looking out for me” she replied. Bai Yutong shrugged this time.

“It’s my job to watch out for my girls” he declared. Ma Han smiled before she crossed her arms.

“You want help with this little investigation of yours?” she asked. Bai Yutong shrugged.

“If you’re offering” he replied. Ma Han laughed.

“I am out a job right now, so my schedule is pretty free” she replied. Bai Yutong nodded.

“Then I would appreciate it” he replied.

~*~*~*~*~

At the bridge, Zhan Yao was looking in every police car, searching for Dr. Zhe Gongsun, a tall man with tan skin, brown eyes, and dark brown hair, until he found him resting in the passenger seat of a police car, a cup of coffee in hand.

“Gongsun, falling asleep?” he teased. Gongsun glanced up at him and huffed.

“How can I sleep here? If I could sleep here, I wouldn’t need to pay a mortgage for my house” he replied, offering his coffee to Zhan Yao, who just shook his head.

“When did she die?” he asked.

“Around 9:00 pm. The wounds on her neck are similar to the previous case” Gongsun answered.

“Which wound is the fatal one?” Zhan Yao asked. Gongsun huffed and looked up at him.

“You asked me the same question last time” he grumbled. Zhan Yao smirked.

“Mhm. It’s been more than ten days now but you still haven’t given me an answer” he reminded. Gongsun sighed and took a sip of his coffee before he cleared his throat.

“The murderer plunged it in and pulled it out. Plunged it in again and pulled it out again. None of the wounds were fatal. She died when she couldn’t take it anymore” he stated. Zhan Yao hummed before he crossed his arms.

“Can you examine it again for me tomorrow? See if the victim was poisoned or if she took drugs?” he asked. Gongsun looked at him and sighed.

“Only for you, Dr. Zhan” he replied. Zhan Yao smiled before he clapped Gongsun on the shoulder.

“If you’re tired, go home and rest. You spent so much money on buying a house, it’ll be a pity to sleep in the car” he stated before he turned and headed back to Luo Tian, who was examining the couple’s car.

“Luo Tian, leave this car alone” he ordered. Luo Tian nodded as Zhan Yao walked back over to Jiang Ling, who was still looking at the dead woman’s body in the back of the car.

“What was the victim’s occupation? When did she arrive in Hua City?” he asked. 

“She’s a nurse in Renai Hospital called Liu Yaping. She immigrated here from Lai Province a year ago; her husband arrived with her child last month. The car’s a month old. We still haven’t gotten in contact with her family” Jiang Ling answered. Zhan Yao hummed before he looked over at her.

“Notify the family” he ordered. Jiang Ling looked back at him and shook her head.

“I can’t go. Her son’s only three. I can’t tell him” she explained. Zhan Yao sighed.

“I’ll have Bai Chi go with you” he declared before he turned and started heading back to his car.

“Is it connected to the Duo La case? Or what? Anyway, I want in” Jiang Ling declared, following after Zhan Yao. Zhan Yao huffed.

“Of course they’re connected. There can’t be two freaks like that” he grumbled, just as Bai Chi walked over to him.

“Dr. Zhan” he greeted.

“You didn’t even tell me that you were coming. Don’t you know I was interrogating Bao Yu like an idiot?” Zhan Yao scolded, glaring at Bai Chi, who shrank under his gaze.

“We only found out that she was stabbed by the skewers when we got here. And you didn’t pick up my calls” Bai Chi stammered. Zhan Yao took a deep breath, calming himself, before he sighed.

“Jiang Ling needs to go notify the victim’s family. Go with her” he ordered. Bai Chi nodded as Zhan Yao began walking away again.

“Autopsy Department! Physical Evidence Department! Take whatever you want! Everyone else, leave” he barked.

“Yes sir!” the officers and detectives shouted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	4. Case 1: Serial Jealousy - Part 4

At Bai Yutong’s club, Zhao Fu led Bai Yutong over to the girl’s lockers.

“Bai Sir, this’s Li Li’s locker” he declared, pointing to one of the lockers. Bai Yutong nodded.

“Open it” he ordered. Zhao Fu nodded and opened the locker, stepping back to let Bai Yutong examine the contents. Bai Yutong quickly searched the locker, finding a bag full of makeup which he quickly put aside before he reached inside and found two notebooks. One notebook was empty but one was full of names and numbers. He flipped through a few pages before he realized what the book was and snarled as he slammed the locker shut.

~*~*~*~*~

After examining the locker, Bai Yutong called all of his girls to the middle of the club, having them sit before he opened Li Li’s book and began going through it, glancing every now and then at a girl whenever he saw their name in the notebook. After looking through the notebook, he turned to look at the girls.

“What exactly was Li Li doing? Was she selling? Which one of you was with her?” he asked. None of the girls answered, making him growl.

“I’m asking you a question!” he shouted, slamming the notebook on the ground, startling all of the girls. He then pointed to them.

“It’s in here. Every transaction, name, phone number, address, time, even who received the order. All clearly recorded. How are you going to explain this? I told you guys multiple times! Don’t go anywhere. Don’t leave with a stranger whenever you want. Have you been to his house?” he snapped, pointing at Serene before looking at the rest of the girls.

“Do you know what kind of person he is?” he continued. One of the girls sighed.

“President Bai, it’s not like we want to go, we still need to make a living” she replied. Bai Yutong turned to glare at her.

“Is life or money more important? Do you want to die?” he snarled. The girl looked away as another girl looked at him.

“When will the perpetrator be caught?” she asked. Bai Yutong sighed and crossed his arms.

“Before this is resolved, stay in the shop. Stay here, understood?” he asked, just as Zhao Fu ran over to him.

“Bai Sir, Shen Lu says he wants to meet you tomorrow” he whispered. Bai Yutong gritted his teeth before he sighed. 

~*~*~*~*~

“This is bad. There’s definitely no good news since Shen Lu is looking for me at this time” Bai Yutong grumbled as he and Zhao Fu walked away from the girls, only to see Ma Han leaning against the nightclub wall.

“How’s your grandmother?” he asked as he walked over to her. Ma Han shrugged.

“She’s doing better today” she replied. Bai Yutong hummed as Zhao Fu gave Bai Yutong’s jacket a tug.

“Bai Sir, we don’t have time. We have to hurry. You still have business to attend to later at 5” he urged. Bai Yutong huffed.

“Go get the car” he ordered. Zhao Fu nodded.

“Okay” he replied before he turned and walked away. Once he was gone, Bai Yutong looked at Ma Han and crossed his arms.

“Were you able to pay the bills?” he asked. Ma Han nodded.

“I was able to pay a little, but I’ve still got more to pay” she replied. 

“How much?” Bai Yutong asked. Ma Han shook her head.

“I can’t remember off the top of my head. The next time a bill comes, I’ll let you know” she replied. Bai Yutong nodded. 

“Okay” he agreed. Ma Han then crossed her arms.

“You sure we can’t report Li Li’s death to the police? You know Zhan Yao would solve the case” she stated. Bai Yutong huffed.

“I can solve the case just as well as Zhan Yao. I used to be a detective before I became a lawyer” he declared. Ma Han smirked.

“I know” she replied.

~*~*~*~*~

At the Hua City Police Department, Zhan Yao walked through the front doors, only to see a young woman sitting on the bench by the front doors. He stopped when he recognized her, sighing softly as she looked up at him. Zhan Yao then motioned for her to follow him, both of them heading to the morgue. When they entered, they headed over to one of the refrigerators, Zhan Yao opening it to reveal a young woman’s corpse.

“I came to take Duo La back to be buried” the woman, Mrs. Duo, explained as she and Zhan Yao stared at the young woman’s corpse.

“Mrs. Duo, I don’t think today will be okay. Do you know a nurse called Liu Yaping?” Zhan Yao asked, looking over at her. Mrs. Duo looked over at him and shook her head.

“I don’t” she replied. Zhan Yao hummed.

“Before Duo La died, did she go to an OB/GYN at Renai Hospital?” he inquired. 

“OB/GYN? There’s no way. Why would Duo La go to an OB/GYN?” Mrs. Duo asked, just as Gongsun and one of his workers walked into the morgue.

“Dr. Zhan, Liu Yaping’s corpse is here” Gongsun called out. Zhan Yao nodded before he looked over at Mrs. Duo.

“They need to work now, so let’s visit Duo La later. Okay?” he asked gently. Mrs. Duo nodded as Zhan Yao pushed Duo La’s body back into her refrigerator, shutting the door. He then turned to Gongsun and dipped his head.

“You’ve worked hard” he praised before he started to head out the door. However, Mrs. Duo wasn’t following him and instead stopped next to Liu Yaping’s body, making both Gongsun and Zhan Yao look at her before Gongsun quickly zipped up the body bag to prevent her from seeing anything. Of course, it was too late; Mrs. Duo had seen the woman’s neck.

“Is my daughter’s wound the same as hers?” she asked, making Zhan Yao quickly walk over to her and take her by the shoulders.

“Dr. Zhan, is my daughter’s wound the same as hers?” Mrs. Duo asked as she looked up at Zhan Yao. Zhan Yao said nothing as he looked at Gongsun, who also said nothing.

“Dr. Zhan!” Mrs. Duo cried.

“Ms. Duo, let’s leave first. Come” Zhan Yao murmured, leading her out of the morgue as she wailed. As soon as she was gone, Gongsun quickly walked over and closed the door of the morgue, letting out a deep sigh before he headed back over to Liu Yaping’s body, opening the body bag back up.

~*~*~*~*~

At Liu Yaping’s house, Bai Chi and Jiang Ling were sitting before Mr. Shen, Liu Yaping’s husband, while their three-year-old son played nearby.

“Mr. Shen, please, get a hold of your emotions first” Bai Chi murmured, his voice gentle, before he took a deep breath.

“Your wife was murdered by a skewer. Then her corpse was thrown in her car. The two of us came here today to understand the situation. When does your wife usually come home?” he asked. Mr. Shen took a deep breath before he cleared his throat.

“She gets off work at 5:00 pm. She arrives home at 6:00” he replied. 

“Then where were you yesterday after 5:00 pm?” Bai Chi asked, not trying to be rude, but to just get the facts.

“At home, taking care of the child, waiting for her to come home” Mr. Shen answered as Jiang Ling looked over at the little boy playing with blocks on the sofa.

“I waited to call the police at 11:00 pm” Mr. Shen continued. Bai Chi hummed.

“Is there anyone who can corroborate your timeline?” he asked. Mr. Shen was quiet, blinking back tears, before he looked over at Bai Chi.

“What do you mean?” he asked before he looked at Jiang Ling, who just lowered her gaze. He then looked back at Bai Chi.

“Are you suspecting me right now?” he exclaimed before he shot to his feet and walked over into the living room, motioning to the little boy on the couch.

“My son is only three this year. My son is only three!” he exclaimed. Bai Chi looked at him with wide eyes.

“Mr. Shen, please calm down. We know that it’s only been a month since you’ve arrived with your son” he soothed as Mr. Shen reached out and scooped up his son, holding him close.

“I waited for this reunion for three years. Now you’re suggesting that I killed my wife!” he shouted. Bai Chi and Jiang Ling both looked away, not sure how to answer.

~*~*~*~*~

Back at the Hua City Police Department, Mrs. Duo and Zhan Yao were walking side by side towards the entrance when Mrs. Duo stopped and turned to look at him.

“Dr. Zhan, when will you catch the perpetrator?” she asked. Zhan Yao looked at her, his face serious.

“As soon as possible” he promised. Mrs. Duo sniffled as she lowered her gaze.

“Where did you find that lady from before?” she asked. Zhan Yao shook his head.

“We can’t tell you that, I’m sorry” he replied.

“What about Duo La? Where did you find her? Why won’t you tell me?” Mrs. Duo demanded, tears in her eyes. Zhan Yao looked at her, pain in his heart, before he sighed.

“I’m sorry, I can’t say anything right now” he replied. 

_“_ _Did you catch the perpetrator only after twenty years? Please answer the question”_ a reporter asked from the television playing in the lobby, making Mrs. Duo and Zhan Yao look over at it.

_“_ _This new case is completely different from the case twenty years ago. These two cases should not be compared”_ Bao Heizei answered.

“Is it possible that you won’t be able to catch the perpetrator?” Mrs. Duo asked, looking away from the television and back at Zhan Yao.

“No. Definitely not” Zhan Yao answered before he motioned to the door.

“Please, go back first” he instructed. Mrs. Duo nodded and headed out the door, Zhan Yao watching her leave. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	5. Case 1: Serial Jealousy - Part 5

Later on that night, Zhan Yao walked over to the evidence room and opened the door.

“Luo Tian, did you find anything new inside Liu Yaping’s car?” he asked as he stepped inside and walked over to Luo Tian’s table, where he was busy taking evidence photos.

“I’ll write it in the report” Luo Tian replied, lowering the camera from his eye.

“Can I take a look at the report?” Zhan Yao asked. Luo Tian shook his head.

“Dr. Zhan, I haven’t written it yet” he replied as he placed his camera down and made some notes in his notebook. Zhan Yao hummed before he crossed his arms.

“Then let me ask you directly: is there a record of her trips?” he asked. 

“No” Luo Tian answered.

“GPS?” Zhan Yao inquired. Luo Tian shook his head.

“Wasn’t installed” he replied. Zhan Yao sighed.

“Other than Liu Yaping’s bloodstain, was there another person’s?” he asked. Luo Tian shook his head again.

“Other than Liu Yaping’s, there wasn’t anyone else’s” he replied. Zhan Yao smirked.

“You got nothing. Keeping me in suspense?” he teased. Luo Tian smirked as well as he looked up at Zhan Yao.

“Dr. Zhan, “no results” were found through my examinations. I examined it for an entire day” he replied. Zhan Yao nodded.

“Okay. What about these?” he asked, motioning to the items on Luo Tian’s table.

“These aren’t anything. Other than Liu Yaping’s fingerprints, there are only her husband’s and her child’s” Luo Tian replied. Zhan Yao looked over the items before he looked at the keychain that he found earlier.

“You mind?” he asked, pointing to it. Luo Tian motioned to it.

“Be my guest” he replied. Zhan Yao nodded and took the evidence out of the evidence lab before he walked over to the morgue and knocked on the door.

“Enter” a voice called from inside. Zhan Yao then pushed open the doors and walked inside, heading over to Gongsun, who was washing his hands in the sink.

“Gongsun, did you finish examining Liu Yaping yet?” he asked. Gongsun nodded.

“I did” he replied. 

“What about it? Time of death?” Zhan Yao asked.

“About 6:00 pm last night” Gongsun replied. Zhan Yao frowned.

“What time at 6:00?” he continued. Gongsun huffed.

“It’s not a movie ticket, how would I know that specifically?” he replied. Zhan Yao nodded.

“Sorry. Please, continue” he instructed. Gongsun nodded as he picked up his clipboard.

“The fatal wound is still on the neck. Her hands were tied to a chair. The perpetrator used his right hand. Same as Duo La, no signs of sexual intercourse” he replied. Zhan Yao frowned.

“Still no sexual intercourse?” he repeated. Gongsun looked from his clipboard and raised an eyebrow.

“Is there a problem?” he asked before he placed his clipboard down and turned to his x-ray light, taking down x-rays. 

“There’s no contact between the two women. There’s no signs of sexual intercourse. What exactly was the motivation?” Zhan Yao asked. 

“Sociopath” Gongsun replied. Zhan Yao huffed.

“That’s difficult to investigate” he reminded as he picked up Gongsun’s clipboard and pen, handing them back to him.

“If he’s really like that, he’ll continue to commit crimes. Eventually, he’ll mess up” Gongsun assured. Zhan Yao fixed him with a look.

“Gongsun, more people will die” he reminded. Gongsun thought about it before he nodded and lowered his eyes.

“Was Duo La a virgin?” Zhan Yao suddenly asked. Gongsun frowned and looked up at him.

“No, why are you asking?” he asked.

“Bao Yu said that Duo La wouldn’t let him touch her. I wanted to confirm” Zhan Yao replied. Gongsun hummed as Zhan Yao dipped his head in thanks, leaving the morgue. As he walked out, he caught Bai Chi, who was walking in the opposite direction, and dragged him along.

“Bai Chi” he started, making Bai Chi look up at him.

“Yes sir?” he replied.

“Bring me the archives of the missing people in the last thirty days in Hua City” Zhan Yao ordered.

“Male or female?” Bai Chi asked.

“Female” Zhan Yao replied.

“What age?” Bai Chi continued.

“Eighteen to thirty-five. Research them all” Zhan Yao ordered, making Bai Chi look at him with concern.

“Dr. Zhan, do you mean that there will be a third victim?” he asked. Zhan Yao sighed.

“I hope there won’t be. There can’t be any more people dying. Now go” he ordered. Bai Chi nodded and headed off towards the archives while Zhan Yao walked over to his desk and began working when Jiang Ling walked over to him.

“This afternoon I went down to the Interchange Center and checked their security videos” she stated, holding up a flash drive. Zhan Yao raised an eyebrow as he looked up at her.

“You found that car?” he asked. Jiang Ling nodded as she handed Zhan Yao the flash drive, who took it and placed it into his computer, pulling up the video.

“Today I ran by her husband and the hospital. Her husband and the people at the hospital aren’t saying anything. It could be a serial killer. We can only wait for the murderer to make another mistake” Jiang Ling stated before she frowned.

“But I still have a question that I can’t figure out” she murmured. 

“Which is?” Zhan Yao asked as he continued searching the video. Jiang Ling sighed.

“Well, the murderer always ties the shoelaces in a bow. That’s very amateurish. It couldn’t be a serial killer” she replied. Zhan Yao hummed as he studied the video that he pulled up, Jiang Ling looking over his shoulder.

“I’ve seen all the surveillance videos of the junctions on the Jinma Bridge. Only this one got a shot at this car” Jiang Ling stated as the car came into frame, Zhan Yao immediately pausing the video.

“The time was around 10:24 a.m. The murderer stuck the gear in neutral to make the car roll by itself and the surveillance never shot him again” Jiang Ling continued as Zhan Yao played the video again, trying to zoom in to see if he could see the driver, but found that he couldn’t and if he tried to blow up the video, it would just be too grainy for him to see anything.

“It’s too blurry” he grumbled.

“This is the clearest” Jiang Ling stated, making Zhan Yao huff.

“Can you tell if it’s a man or a woman?” Jiang Ling asked. Zhan Yao narrowed his eyes as he looked at the video before he huffed.

“Man. It should be a man” he replied.

~*~*~*~*~

When Zhan Yao returned to his apartment building that night and parked in a parking spot, he looked up to see large, red spray painted words on a wall of the parking structure.

_Zhan Qitian give me back my daughter_

Zhan Yao looked at words and memories of the past flooded back.

~*~*~*~*~

_“Zhan Qitian, give me back my daughter!” a woman screamed._

_“Zhan Qitian, in the case of the serial killing, was found guilty as charged” a news reporter declared._

_“The devil from East Island has finally been caught!” another reporter exclaimed._

~*~*~*~*~

Zhan Yao stared at the words before he shook his head and let out a huff before he got out of the car and headed upstairs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, subscribe!


	6. Case 1: Serial Jealousy - Part 6

“Mother, I’m home” Zhan Yao called out as he stepped into the apartment that he shared with his mother. Zhan Yao’s mother, who was sitting at the dining table, looked up at him and smiled tiredly.

“Why did you come back so late tonight? You should hurry and eat. I’ve left some servings for you” she stated. Zhan Yao shook his head.

“Mother, I won’t be eating. I’m tired. I’ll be sleeping instead” he replied as he headed towards his bedroom. 

“Zhan Yao” his mother called out, making him stop and look at her.

“Tomorrow, bring Yangyang home. Okay? Call Wenxuan as well” she continued. Zhan Yao sighed.

“Mother, Wenxuan’s been dead for almost six months” he reminded before he motioned to the newspaper on the table.

“Don’t read the newspaper, okay? Get some sleep” he instructed as he turned and headed to his room, shutting the door behind him. While he was in his room, his mother sat in the living room in silence before picking up a small shoebox and carrying it to Zhan Yao’s room. She then opened the door, making Zhan Yao, who had been reading, look up at her.

“Mother. Do you need something?” he asked.

“Come, take your medicine” his mother instructed as she placed a glass of water and a pill bottle down on the table next to his chair. Zhan Yao sighed.

“I don’t want to take it. Even if I take it, I still can’t sleep” he replied. His mother sighed.

“You hardly sleep every day. How can your body handle it?” she asked before she motioned to the medicine bottle.

“Come, take your medicine and get a good night of sleep tonight” she insisted. Zhan Yao looked at her before he sighed and placed down his book, taking the bottle.

“How many?” he asked. His mother held up a single finger, making him smile as he shook out one pill, popping it into his mouth before he swallowed it, washing it down with the glass of water.

“Alright. Go to sleep now” he instructed, looking at his mother before he picked up his book and began reading again.

“My leg has been hurting me these past couple of days. I can’t go see him tomorrow” his mother stated, making Zhan Yao look up at her as she held up the shoebox.

“You should help me take this to him. Last time, I made this with paper. It definitely will not last long. So this time I made it with cloth” she explained. Zhan Yao just stared at the shoebox with disgust as tears began to fill his mother’s eyes and she began to cry. Zhan Yao’s eyes widened and he quickly put down his book before he got out of his chair, kneeling before her.

“Don’t cry. Don’t cry. I’m sorry. Don’t cry anymore” he soothed as he rubbed her arm before looking into her teary brown eyes.

“Let’s go back to sleep, okay? Come. Back to your room to sleep” he murmured as he stood up, gently helping his mother to her feet and leading her towards his bedroom door, opening it before leading her out and to her bedroom. After putting her to bed, Zhan Yao headed back to his bedroom and sat down in one of the chairs, sighing heavily.

~*~*~*~*~

The next day at the Hua City Prison, Bai Yutong walked over to the guard shack and knocked on the glass, making the guard look up at him.

“You’re here to see Shen Lu, right?” he asked. Bai Yutong nodded. The guard hummed and handed him the sign in sheet, which Bai Yutong took and signed. A little while later, Bai Yutong sat before Shen Lu, who was handcuffed to the table, since he was more of the “violent” prisoners. 

“What did I tell you to do?” Shen Lu asked quietly.

“Help you manage all the shops. It’s not important to manage them well. More important to keep the account clearly. Keep them well” Bai Yutong replied, voice also just as soft. Shen Lu then looked at him and raised an eyebrow.

“How many shops are there?” he asked.

“Nightclub, coffee shop, bar” Bai Yutong answered.

“Did I let you do prostitution?” Shen Lu hissed. Bai Yutong sighed.

“The ladies did that on their own, in secret. When something goes wrong, I get blamed for it. That’s why I’m discussing this with you. Should we report it to the police? What should we do?” he demanded. 

“Do I need you if I wanted to get the cops?” Shen Lu hissed, his voice ever quiet. 

“The ladies are waiting for an answer from me” Bai Yutong deadpanned, making Shen Lu raise an eyebrow.

“Do you care about them?” he asked. Bai Yutong scoffed.

“Of course I don’t. But the nightclub will collapse without them” he explained. Shen Lu hummed.

“You…should go see Zhao Jue” he declared. Bai Yutong’s eyes widened.

“What? I can’t meet Zhao Jue. No…I’m done for if I see him” he exclaimed softly.

“Shen Lu, please, give me one more chance. Just one more. I will definitely take care of this matter for you, alright?” he begged. Shen Lu just smirked.

“Sure; then I will tell him the situation. In addition, I will tell him that after such a big situation occurred, you still refused to see him” he threatened. Bai Yutong looked at him before he sighed heavily.

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, Zhan Yao, dressed in his ceremonial uniform, drove up to the prison, parking his car just before the stop sign that led to the prison. He then got out and fixed his uniform before he walked up to the gate, which automatically opened for him, and over to the guard shack, signing in.

“Dr. Zhan, you haven’t come here for a long time” the guard stated. Zhan Yao just dipped his head to him before he turned and walked away, not even acknowledging the man’s comment.

~*~*~*~*~

A little while later, Zhan Yao was walking across a bridge that connected the large prison while Bai Yutong, walked towards him, both men stopping once they met in the middle.

“You’re quite impressive, Mouse. You were forbidden from practicing law and yet you still come here. What is it? Is your new boss in there?” Zhan Yao asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Don’t worry about that, Cat. You should focus on capturing people. I’ll take care of releasing people” Bai Yutong replied with a small smile. Zhan Yao huffed.

“Next time you come here, don’t expect to leave” he warned. Bai Yutong smirked.

“Alright. We shall see next time” he agreed. The two men looked at one another for another moment before they walked past one another; Zhan Yao heading into the prison while Bai Yutong headed out.

~*~*~*~*~

“Zhan Qitian, you have a visitor” a guard declared in front of a cell, making the prisoner inside, Zhan Yao’s father, Zhan Qitian, look up in surprise.

“Don’t talk for too long” the guard continued before walking away, revealing Zhan Yao standing behind him. Zhan Qitian’s eyes widened and he stood to his feet as he looked at Zhan Yao.

“Are you and your mother well?” he asked. Zhan Yao said nothing, making his father sigh.

“Is Yangyang five years old now? Visit him often whenever you have the time or else it will end up like you and me” he murmured. Zhan Yao narrowed his eyes.

“That’s none of your business. Patiently squat in here” he spat before he handed his father the brown paper bag with the shoebox in it.

“This is from mother” he declared, waiting for his father to take the bag before he turned and walked away. Once he was gone, Zhan Qitian pulled the shoebox out of the bag and placed it on his cot, opening it. He then unrolled the cloth that was inside the box, revealing a very detailed piano keyboard. His eyes widened before he raised his hands and placed them down on the keys, beginning to play.

~*~*~*~*~

_“Zhan Qitian, convicted of serial murder” a judge declared._

~*~*~*~*~

_In 1992, at the Lanya Music Conservatory, the body of a young girl was found, which led to Zhan Qitian’s trial._

_“Zhan Qitian, how can a professor commit such a heinous act?” one reporter asked after the trial._

_“Have you considered apologizing to the family members?” another reporter asked._

_“Why did you only admit to killing five people?” a reporter demanded._

_“What about the sixth person?” another reporter screamed._

~*~*~*~*~

As Zhan Yao was leaving the prison, he glanced over to see Bai Yutong standing beside his Lamborghini. He continued towards his car and opened the door before he stopped and looked at Bai Yutong, who just smirked before putting on his sunglasses. Zhan Yao rolled his eyes before he got into his car, Bai Yutong doing the same. Both men then started their engines before they began to drive away, once again heading in the opposite directions of one another. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	7. Case 1: Serial Jealousy - Part 7

_In 2016, four years ago, Bai Yutong walked into the Hua City Police Department’s Interrogation room and over to the suspect, sitting down before her._

_“Wait” Bai Yutong ordered before the woman could say anything. He then reached into his briefcase and pulled out a pen and small notebook, opening the notebook and tearing out a page. He then handed her the piece of paper before placing the pen in her hand. As soon as she began writing, he looked up into the camera that was in the interrogation room, as Zhan Yao, who was in the connecting room, looked back at him through the screen. Bai Yutong then looked back down at the woman, who had finished writing and was about to slide the paper back to him, and immediately covered her hand so that Zhan Yao and the officer in the other room couldn’t see what was written on the slip. He then took the pen back from the woman before slowly sliding the piece of paper back to himself, looking at it with a frown on his face. He read the words written on it before he sighed and looked up at the woman, tearing the piece of paper as he began to speak._

_“On Friday, I’ll come see you. In the meantime, whoever interrogates you, don’t talk too much. Make all the calls you want; to your parents, friends, whoever, even your dead husband. Tell him “I couldn’t take the beating anymore, this time I killed you, sorry, let’s be together in the next life”, as you wish but keep in mind, don’t tell these people anything else about the case. Understood?” he instructed. The woman nodded as Bai Yutong placed his notebook and pen back into his briefcase, closing up the case before he looked at the woman._

_“Alright, I’ll come see you on Friday” he declared before he stood up and walked out of the interrogation room, Zhan Yao walking out of the monitoring room._

_“Tell your client that even if she doesn’t tell us where she hid the body, we can still have her convicted at least for life. If she tells us where it is, considering her long exposure to domestic violence, I promise, the sentence will be maximum 10 years. Now, where is her husband’s body?” he asked, placing his hands on his hips as he looked at Bai Yutong, who walked over to him._

_“Go ask her. Or do you want to interrogate even the lawyer?” Bai Yutong asked before he continued past Zhan Yao, Zhan Yao turning just in time to see Bai Yutong slipping the torn piece of paper into his pants pocket._

_~*~*~*~*~_

_Meanwhile, deep in the forest, Bai Yutong and Zhao Fu were unburying the dead husband, unburying him just enough before Zhao Fu doused the entire body with gasoline. Bai Yutong then flicked on a lighter, staring at the body before he threw the lighter into the pit. The body immediately caught on fire, Bai Yutong and Zhao Fu staring at it before Bai Yutong turned to Zhao Fu._

_“Go tell the defendant that she must pay me at least 30,000 more!” he ordered before he turned and walked away, only to stop and pause, thinking about it. He then walked back to Zhao Fu, staring at the burning pit before he looked at Zhao Fu._

_“Forget it, forget it. I don’t want it” he stated before he turned and walked away again._

_~*~*~*~*~_

_“Defendant Bai Yutong: for the crime of shielding, not guilty; for the crime of indignity to a dead body, guilty, but, considering the immunity as a lawyer in the case, he is exempt from imprisonment. The defendant is condemned to disbarment from the practice as lawyer” a judge declared a few weeks later, making Bai Yutong look at her with wide eyes as she slammed her gavel down._

_“You can condemn me to two/three years alright, why are you taking away my position as a lawyer? This is my job!” he exclaimed before a thought hit him and he looked back to glare at Zhan Yao, who just cocked an eyebrow at him. Bai Yutong snarled._

_“Cat” he hissed._

~*~*~*~*~

Out on a fishing boat heading towards fishing village, Bai Yutong felt very out of place in his all white suit. Once he reached shore, he headed through the village until he came upon a large and worn down building. 

“Inside” the man standing at the door, Eugene, ordered. Bai Yutong sighed and followed after Eugene as they headed inside the large warehouse, where many men were descaling and gutting fish. Bai Yutong tried to not make a face as he walked past the men when he was suddenly stopped by one of Zhao Jue’s men. Bai Yutong sighed and raised his arms, allowing the man to pat him down. Once he was patted down, Eugene led Bai Yutong over to the dock, motioning for Bai Yutong to go forward. Bai Yutong sighed before he walked to the edge of the dock, where Zhao Jue was fishing.

“Zhao Jue” Bai Yutong greeted. 

“Sit down” Zhao Jue replied, Bai Yutong immediately doing what he was told.

“I saw Li Li once; that little girl was quite smart. The first time she saw me, she immediately called me “Zhao Laoshi”. Such a smart little girl” Zhao Jue murmured before he looked over at Bai Yutong.

“I heard she died in your hands” he stated. Bai Yutong sighed.

“Maybe she offended someone and got done fore. I asked Shen Lu about this; should we report it to the police or what else should we do? He made me come and ask for your advice” he stated. Zhao Jue shook his head.

“Don’t report it. No need to look for someone to investigate. Li Li’s death is a small matter. I think there’s someone behind it, doing something. Keep your eyes open for me, investigate it for me” he ordered, looking at Bai Yutong. Bai Yutong shook his head.

“I can’t investigate. I know I was once a cop before I was a lawyer, but I left that life behind a long time ago. I can only help people to get out, I don’t know remember how to catch them” he stated. Zhao Jue looked at him and smirked.

“Catching criminals for you is just muscle memory. Once you start doing it, you’ll remember” he assured before he pulled in his line and sighed.

“You know, some people are just like these fish. They think they’re smart. They swallowed my bait but they’re not willing to get hooked. Then what’s all my work for?” he asked, looking at Bai Yutong, who glanced at him before lowering his eyes.

“You…you’ve worked in my company for four years, you’ve shared my profit for four years, I’m not too bad to you, am I?” Zhao Jue asked. Bai Yutong said nothing as Zhao Jue kept talking.

“If you can’t find the killer, you’ll pay for Li Li’s life” he declared. Bai Yutong’s eyes widened before he schooled his expression and nodded.

“Okay, I’ll find a way to catch the guy, alright?” he assured.

“How long do you need?” Zhao Jue asked as he went back to stringing his bait.

“Fifteen days” Bai Yutong replied. Zhao Jue said nothing, making Bai Yutong sigh.

“Ten days” he countered, only to have Zhao Jue look up at him.

“Five days. Is five days okay?” he asked. 

“If in five days you can’t find Li Li’s killer, you’ll pay for this life” Zhao Jue declared. Bai Yutong nodded before he stood up and left, leaving Zhao Jue to his fishing.

~*~*~*~*~

Later on that day, Bai Yutong returned to his nightclub, calling Ma Han in to talk to her.

“You wanted to see me, Bai Sir?” Ma Han asked, dressed in a long brown trench coat, knee high black boots, black shorts, and a black tank top.

“Sit” Bai Yutong instructed, motioning to one of the cushions next to the couch he was sitting on.

“What’s up?” Ma Han asked. 

“In the next few days, I’ll try to find you a more suitable job so that you can get some more money to help pay rent and buy food as well as pay your grandmother’s hospital bills” Bai Yutong declared. Ma Han looked at him before she sniffled.

“I appreciate that, but my grandmother died last night. I guess it was her time” she croaked. Bai Yutong blinked before he reached out and placed a comforting hand on Ma Han’s knee.

“Ma Han…I’m so sorry” he whispered. Ma Han sniffled and wiped her eye with the back of her hand. 

“It’s fine…my family’s finally stepping up to take care of funeral arrangements, so at least I don’t have to worry about that. Now, what do you need?” she asked, immediately shifting into police mode.

“You’re close to Li Li, right? Does she have any relatives?” Bai Yutong inquired. Ma Han nodded.

“She has a grandmother” she replied. Bai Yutong hummed.

“Will you take me to see her?” he asked. Ma Han blinked.

“I only went once” she replied. Bai Yutong waved his hand.

“It’s fine, we’ll look around” he assured. Ma Han nodded.

“Alright, if you’re sure” she replied. Bai Yutong nodded.

“I’m sure” he assured.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little backstory as how Bai Yutong lost his license and why he and Zhan Yao are so "prickly" towards each other
> 
> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	8. Case 1: Serial Jealousy - Part 8

That afternoon, Bai Yutong and Ma Han drove around in his Lamborghini, searching for Li Li’s grandmother’s house, finally coming back to a particular building.

“Is this even the place? We’ve already made three circles back and forth” Bai Yutong grumbled. 

“I’m sure, I’m sure. This is definitely the place. It’s near here” Ma Han assured. Bai Yutong looked over at her and huffed.

“Did you even come here?” he grumbled. Ma Han gave him a look.

“I came. It’s just…I forgot. I had other stuff on my plate at the time, remember?” she reminded. Bai Yutong sighed.

“Right. Sorry” he murmured before he reached into the glove compartment of the Lamborghini and pulled out a brown paper bag.

“What’s in there? What are you doing?” Ma Han asked as Bai Yutong pulled out eight stacks of hundred dollar bills. He counted out three stacks before placing the other five back in the bag.

“Bai Sir, what are you doing?” Ma Han repeated, making Bai Yutong look over at her.

“What am I doing? The money I put back is the money that Li Li owes the nightclub” he replied. Ma Han frowned.

“But…this…isn’t it intended to be for her grandmother?” she asked. Bai Yutong sighed.

“Ma Han, she owed me money. This is just how business works” he explained. Ma Han sighed.

“Fine. But I don’t like it” she grumbled. Bai Yutong shrugged.

“You don’t have to like it. But if you’ve got such a big problem with it, you can go back” he offered. Ma Han shook her head.

“No, I’ll come” she replied before she and Bai Yutong out of the car and began walking through the multiple buildings until they came upon a dilapidated building.

“Here?” Bai Yutong asked. Ma Han nodded.

“Here” she replied. Bai Yutong nodded.

“Let’s go” he declared. Ma Han nodded before she walked into the building, Bai Yutong following behind.

“Grandmother. Grandmother!” she called out and soon an old woman came to greet them, bringing them into the living room. Bai Yutong looked around the very worn down house and frowned.

“Where are Li Li’s parents?” he asked as he looked at photos of Li Li and her grandmother.

“She has none. Her father has been dead for more than 10 years already and her mother remarried early on. It’s Li Li’s grandmother who raised her all these years” Ma Han explained.

“Does Li Li’s grandmother know we’re her friends?” Bai Yutong asked. Ma Han nodded.

“She knows. She recognizes me. Didn’t I say I’ve come here before?” she teased, just as Li Li’s grandmother walked back over to them, carrying two glasses of tea.

“Thank you Grandmother!” Ma Han thanked as she and Bai Yutong took the glasses from her.

“Thank you” Bai Yutong thanked before he motioned to the chair in front of him.

“Sit down, please” he instructed and thankfully she did so. Bai Yutong then cleared his throat.

“Grandmother, we just wanted to tell you—” he started when he realized that she wasn’t really listening to him.

“Grandmother, Grandmother—” he started, waving his hand in front of her face to get her to look at him.

“Li Li has died” he declared. However, Li Li’s grandmother didn’t seem sad or concerned at all, she just smiled at him. Bai Yutong frowned and looked over at Ma Han, who sighed.

“Grandmother can’t hear” she explained. Bai Yutong narrowed his eyes at her.

“Why didn’t you mention that earlier?” he snapped. Ma Han shook her head.

“I don’t know” she replied. Bai Yutong sighed.

“Alright, I’ll just say it louder” he grumbled before he turned to face Li Li’s grandmother.

“This—” he started, Li Li’s grandmother slightly tilting her head at him. He then bit his bottom lip before he turned away.

“Fuck, I can’t figure out how to say it. You tell her” he instructed, looking at Ma Han, whose eyes widened.

“Me?! I can’t say it either! Grandmother was in her 60’s when she started raising Li Li. Now she’s in her 80’s. Li Li said her grandma depended on her to keep living” she explained. Bai Yutong groaned.

“Fuck” he whispered before he turned back to Li Li’s grandmother. 

“Li Li…Li Li…” he started, making Li Li’s grandmother look at him with wide eyes.

“…has flown to America. She’s gone to America” he lied. Li Li’s grandmother blinked as she tried to understand what he said.

“Li Li…went to America?” she repeated, making a flying motion with her arms. Bai Yutong nodded.

“Yes, she went to America” he replied.

“She went to America?” Li Li’s grandmother asked again. Bai Yutong nodded.

“America…oh yes, that’s right” he praised, making Li Li’s grandmother bounce up and down in excitement.

“That’s good!” she exclaimed.

“She went there to study” Bai Yutong continued.

“Go to school?” Li Li’s grandmother asked. Ma Han nodded.

“Very good” she agreed. Li Li’s grandmother smiled.

“Definitely, very good!” she exclaimed. 

“She mentioned she would give you…she told me to give you the money” Bai Yutong explained, as he took out the three thousand dollars.

“Eh?” Li Li’s grandmother asked, confused.

“Li Li wants to give you money” Ma Han explained, taking the three thousand and placing it down on the coffee table. Li Li’s grandmother shook her head.

“I don’t want it; I still have some” she argued. Ma Han shook her head.

“She gave it to you; keep it” she urged.

“Keep it. Filial to you” Bai Yutong added. 

“Right” Ma Han agreed. Li Li’s grandmother frowned.

“There’s a lot” she murmured as she looked down at the large sum of cash on her coffee table. Ma Han and Bai Yutong shook their heads as Bai Yutong looked at her.

“Li Li said she was gonna call you often” he explained, making a calling motion with his hand; Ma Han doing the same.

“She’s gonna call you” she repeated. Li Li’s grandmother smiled, making the call motion with her hand.

“Call me” she agreed. Bai Yutong then cleared his throat.

“Li Li also said—” he started before he stopped and looked over at Ma Han.

“I have nothing left to say. Go ahead and say a few more things” he instructed as he stood to his feet. Ma Han looked at him with wide eyes before she looked back at Li Li’s grandmother.

“She…she said you shouldn’t worry. She’s doing well in America…there’s no need to worry” she explained as Bai Yutong walked away from them and over to the shrine set up nearby.

“Studying there is probably gonna take a while. There’s no guarantee. So you don’t need to worry about her. She’s doing fine. She earned all this money for you. Don’t worry” Ma Han continued, a gentle smile on her face.

“She said a few years?” Li Li’s grandmother asked. Ma Han nodded.

“Right” she assured. 

“Li Li was obedient ever since she was young. She was always a hardworking student. She’s so angelic” Li Li’s grandmother explained as Bai Yutong turned and faced the shrine, picking up three incense sticks before lighting them with a lighter, placing them between his hands in prayer before he bowed three times and stuck them in the incense burner. While Ma Han and Li Li’s grandmother were still talking, Bai Yutong turned and looked at them.

“I’m going to head back to the car” he stated before he pointed to Ma Han.

“You should leave soon too. Don’t stay here for lunch; I’ll take you later” he added before he headed out of the house. Ma Han nodded as Li Li’s grandmother motioned to him.

“He’s leaving?” she asked. Ma Han nodded.

“It’s okay, let’s chat for a little bit more” she offered. Li Li’s grandmother nodded.

~*~*~*~*~

In the car, Bai Yutong let out a heavy sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose, just as Ma Han came out and walked over to the car, getting in.

“Let’s go” she instructed, just as she noticed Bai Yutong’s face.

“Bai Sir?” she murmured.

~*~*~*~*~

Inside the house, Li Li’s grandmother walked over to the shrine and shook her hands in prayer before it when she noticed a large sum of money sitting on the mantle. Her eyes widened in shock as she picked up the cash before slowly turning to look towards the door where Bai Yutong and Ma Han left.

~*~*~*~*~

“What’s wrong?” Ma Han asked, raising an eyebrow. Bai Yutong looked over at her and frowned.

“What?” he asked. Ma Han rolled her eyes.

“What are you thinking about?” she inquired. Bai Yutong sighed and shook his head.

“Not much” he answered. Ma Han gave him a look before she sighed.

“Let’s go” she instructed. Bai Yutong nodded.

“Okay” he agreed, starting the Lamborghini before driving away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	9. Case 1: Serial Jealousy - Part 9

Meanwhile, Zhan Yao drove up to a house and parked outside of it, looking at his watch which read “2 pm”. He frowned before he picked up a map that was in the passenger seat and looked at it before he put the car back into drive and drove to Renai Hospital, where the nurse worked. He then checked his watch and saw that it read “3 pm”, so he picked up his map and traced the pen mark that he made from the hospital before placed down the map and putting the car into drive again, driving off. He then got on the freeway, following the map the entire way, before he returned to Liu Yaping’s house, where it was “4:45 pm”. He frowned before he sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

~*~*~*~*~

When he returned to the station, he held a bag of meat skewers in his hand as he walked over to Bai Chi and Jiang Ling, both of whom looked at him in shock.

“Dr. Zhan, what’s the special occasion? Did you get promoted?” Bai Chi asked. Zhan Yao said nothing as he sat down and placed the bag down before them.

“Eat quickly. Save the skewers” he ordered. Bai Chi and Jiang Ling nodded before they reached out and each took a skewers, beginning to dig in when Gongsun walked over to them.

“Something good to eat?” he asked, making Zhan Yao look over at him.

“Finished examining?” he replied. Gongsun nodded as he reached out and took a skewer.

“Mm. The second body also didn’t have evidence of metal fragments. Basically it’s determined to be either this kind, this kind, or this kind” he explained, motioning to three different skewers that were in the bag that Zhan Yao brought.

“There weren’t any wooden shards in the wounds. I can infer it’s not wooden or bamboo skewer” he added. Bai Chi made a face before he looked up at Gongsun.

“Gongsun, we’re eating. Can you not talk about dead bodies?” he begged. Zhan Yao hummed.

“It’s not bamboo, wood, or iron skewers. So what kind then?” he asked, looking up at Gongsun.

“Stainless steel or painted over” Gongsun answered before he looked at the skewer Bai Chi was holding.

“The one you’re holding is similar” he stated, making Bai Chi look at him.

“Aren’t you done yet? I’m grossed out” he grumbled. Zhan Yao huffed.

“Then stop eating” he teased as he grabbed the bag of skewers and put them on the other table as he pulled out his map to show Jiang Ling and Bai Chi.

“Take a look at this” he instructed. Jiang Ling and Bai Chi immediately focused on the map while Gongsun went to sit over at the other table to finish eating the skewers because it was good food, damn it, he wasn’t going to let it go to waste.

“Today I went from Renai Hospital to Liu Yaping’s home. There’s three routes. The first one, from Inner Ring. Inner Ring Road looks the easiet, but it’s a high traffic area. Easily jammed in traffic” he explained as he drew the route. Another way is to avoid the Inner Ring Road and go directly from below the entire way. It’s very winding” Zhan Yao explained.

“Winding?” Bai Chi repeated. Zhan Yao nodded.

“The roads are very narrow. Now, the third way. The least crowded way but needs to make a big detour. Go on the highway” he continued, drawing the third route before finishing it at Liu Yaping’s house.

“This way also goes to Liu Yaping’s home. With all three ways, based on Liu Yaping’s habits and regardless of which one she takes, she shouldn’t get out of the car during the route” he declared. Jiang Ling frowned.

“What do you mean?” she asked. Zhan Yao looked at her.

“What I’m saying is that the perpetrator knew Liu Yaping. They were also inside her car” he explained. Jiang Ling’s eyes widened.

“The killer’s not a sociopath” she whispered. Zhan Yao shook his head.

“No, which is good news for us. The killer’s not a sociopath, therefore he has sufficient motive, which means we can find him” he declared as he looked down at the map.

“The killer’s known to Liu Yaping as well as Doula” he mused. He then looked at Bai Chi and Jiang Ling, both of whom looked at him in awe. This was why he was paid so much more than them.

~*~*~*~*~

At Hua City Nursing Home, Bai Yutong pulled up in his Lamborghini, parking it in front before walking inside. He then walked over to one of the nurses, who greeted him before motioning him to follow her.

“How’s my mom lately?” he asked. The nurse sighed.

“She’s crossing the line more and more” she replied. As she and Bai Yutong walked past the other residents, he smiled.

“Good morning! Did you have a hamburger today?” he asked, looking at one of them.

“It tastes terrible” the resident replied. Bai Yutong laughed as the nurse huffed.

“Today we had curry chili prawns. The first bowl, she said there was too much curry. We made another one, she said there was too much chili. The third bowl, we put no curry or chili, she said again it wasn’t good; that what I cook is bad. One dish made three times. If you raise two words, she immediately thinks you want to harm her. And I, well, my wages are not much I have to serve her 24/7” she grumbled. Bai Yutong hummed as he looked over at her.

“Do you know why I hired you, Nurse Ma? It’s because you’re good at heart, right?” he asked as he stopped before her, reaching out and taking her hand.

“Please be tolerant with her, okay?” he asked before he turned and walked off to find his mother. As he walked away, Nurse Ma looked down into her hand at the two hundred that Bai Yutong placed there in the handshake, smiling to herself before she turned and walked off.

~*~*~*~*~

Bai Yutong then walked into one of the larger apartments at the nursing home, looking around.

“Mom!” he called out, but he heard no response. He sighed as he continued to look around before he found his mother kneeling beside a bedside drawer, frantically searching for something.

“Mom, what are you looking for?” he asked. Bai Ning, Bai Yutong’s mother, looked over at him and smiled weakly before she went back to looking through the clothes.

“Your sister’s notification letter is missing a corner” she explained as she tossed a pair of jeans away. Bai Yutong sighed.

“That thing…you don’t even go out…” he grumbled before he placed his hands on his hips.

“Stop looking, okay?” he instructed as he turned to his package that he brought and took out one of its contents.

“Look what I bought for you: Osmanthus jelly. Come” he called out, motioning for his mother to enjoy the treat. However, Bai Ning just ignored him and continued to look.

“I’ll keep looking. I clearly remember that I’d put it here” she murmured. Bai Yutong sighed again before he walked over to her.

“Usually you don’t even go out, where could it be?” he asked as he took the piece of clothing out of her hand.

“First, throw this away” he murmured before he took her hand.

“Get up, get up, slowly” he instructed, slowly helping her to her feet as she let out grunts and breaths of pain. Once she was standing, Bai Yutong bent down to look at her knees.

“Do your legs hurt? Are you alright?” he asked. Bai Ning waved her hand.

“I’m fine” she assured as Bai Yutong slowly walked her over to one of the chairs in her living room.

“Come. I’ll help you look for it later, okay? Sit here” he encouraged, helping her sit in the chair. Once she was seated, Bai Ning let out a heavy sigh.

“I’m telling you, it’s not just a matter of a corner. On it is your sister’s name. In the future, who will know that this acceptance notification belongs to your sister, to Bai Qingtang?” she demanded as she picked the notification and showed it to Bai Yutong. Bai Yutong took the torn notification and looked at it before he looked at his mother.

“In a bit I’ll look for it. Okay?” he stated as he looked back at the acceptance letter.

_(Univ)ersity of Vienna_

_(Acc)eptance letter_

_12 August 1990_

As he looked at the letter, his mother looked over at him and raised an eyebrow.

“Something heavy on your mind?” she asked. Bai Yutong looked over at her and smiled slightly.

“No” he replied. Bai Ning huffed.

“If you were happy, you wouldn’t come here” she mused. Bai Yutong rolled his eyes fondly before he reached out and cupped her cheek.

“I just missed you” he assured before he reached out and took her hand.

“I’m telling you, a few days ago, one colleague of mine left us. I wanted to go see her family, who’s left, and I found out that she only had a grandmother both hard of hearing and dim in the eyesight; whatever I said she couldn’t hear. When I saw her that way, I didn’t know whether I should tell her that her granddaughter died or not” he murmured. Bai Ning hummed.

“Wait until the killer is found before you tell her” she instructed. Bai Yutong raised an eyebrow as Bai Ning sighed and took her hand out of Bai Yutong’s, resting her chin on it.

“You sister has been dead for over 20 years. The police investigated for over 10 years before they found the murderer. For those ten years, I didn’t know how to live; I really couldn’t go on. Your sister had died so pointlessly” she whispered. Bai Yutong looked at her before he sighed heavily and ran a hand through his hair.

~*~*~*~*~

Late that afternoon, Bai Yutong, Ma Han, and Zhou Fu gathered around Li Li’s body in the funeral parlor, Zhao Fu looking at Bai Yutong.

“Bai Sir, we can’t find a detective. In Hua City, there are few who work privately, but as soon as they hear it’s a homicide, they refuse” he explained. Bai Yutong was quiet as he looked down at Li Li’s body before he sighed heavily.

“Doesn’t matter. I’ll investigate. I am a former detective, anyways” he murmured. Ma Han looked over at him.

“What are you saying?” she asked. 

“I’m saying I’ll investigate Li Li’s murder” Bai Yutong deadpanned, looking her in the eyes before he turned and walked over to the parlor door, walking out, leaving Ma Han and Li Li’s body alone.

~*~*~*~*~

That evening, Zhan Yao and Jiang Ling were walking down one of the alleys, Zhan Yao motioning to one of the bins lining the street.

“Do you see? It’s that blue water tank there” Zhan Yao explained, pointing to the blue tank. Jiang Ling frowned as Zhan Yao placed his hands behind his back, the both of them walking.

“Duo La’s mother asked me a lot of times where Duo La’s body was found. What should I tell her?” he asked. Jiang Ling was quiet as he continued on.

“Should I say _“Your daughter’s body was put in a water tank and the day after it was thrown away to feed the pigs. It was found in the pigsty”?_ ” he asked. Jiang Ling shook her head, making Zhan Yao nod.

“Exactly. I can’t tell her something like that” he murmured. Jiang Ling was quiet as Zhan Yao stared at the blue tank before looking over at her.

“Bao Sir once told me _“During the investigation, if you find yourself at a bottleneck, go back to the crime scene and look; think how the victim died, tell yourself to not give up. You have to give the victim an answer”_ ” he explained, just as two men came out of an adjacent alley, looking as though they were doing a drug deal.

“Yah! What are you doing?” he shouted, startling the two men into taking off.

“Don’t run!” he snapped, immediately taking after them, Jiang Ling rushing after him. As the two men ran down the alley, one split left and one split right, Jiang Ling and Zhan Yao each taking a man. Both of them sprinted after the man, Zhan Yao using his ridiculous superhuman speed to tackle him to the ground; Jiang Ling doing the same. Once the two men were apprehended, Zhan Yao flashed his badge.

“Hua City Police, you’re under arrest for involvement in a case of serial murder” he snarled.

“Officer, I won money at Mah Jong and got paid, is it a crime?” the man croaked. Zhan Yao froze, as did Jiang Ling, before he sighed and got up off the man, apologizing for what he did. The two men took off as Jiang Ling looked over at Zhan Yao.

“Why did you chase after them?” she asked. Zhan Yao shrugged.

“Because they ran” he replied. Jiang Ling rolled her eyes.

“If you hadn’t yelled, they wouldn’t have ran” she reminded before she tsked.

“Wait till they report you” she murmured. Zhan Yao huffed.

“Wouldn’t have been the first time” he mused. 

~*~*~*~*~

The next day, Zhan Yao waited outside of Liu Yaping’s apartment, waiting as Liu Yaping’s husband and son walked through the gate of the complex. Once they were inside, he got out of the car and walked over to the gate, entering it before heading over to Liu Yaping’s apartment. After knocking and explaining who he was, Liu Yaping’s husband let him in and sat him down.

“Here, have a cup of tea” he insisted. Zhan Yao dipped his head.

“Thank you. Is it alright if I ask you some questions?” he asked. Mr. Shen nodded.

“Sure” he replied. Zhan Yao nodded as he pulled out his pen and pad.

“Your wife usually drove herself to work?” he asked. Mr. Shen nodded.

“Yes. We have one car in the family and it was usually her who took it most of the time” he explained. Zhan Yao nodded and wrote down what he was told before he looked back up at him.

“Is there in the neighborhood any coworker living nearby who’d ride with her?” he asked. Mr. Shen shook his head.

“No. Why? Did she have an accident on the way? Did she die in the car?” he asked. Zhan Yao shook his head.

“No” he assured as he looked back down at his notebook.

“Where did your wife usually go, aside from the hospital?” he inquired. Mr. Shen shook his head.

“Didn’t go anywhere. Only on the weekend would I take her to George Town” he answered. Zhan Yao frowned.

“Where?” he asked. 

“Just to that Artists’ Park. I went once. All they sell in there is artistic paintings and some art deco designed by artists. Anyway, I don’t understand those things. Most of the time, she went inside alone, I waited for her in the café at the entrance” Mr. Shen explained. Zhan Yao nodded and jotted down some notes before he looked up.

“Can I see what she bought?” he asked. Mr. Shen shook his head.

“She never bought anything. Maybe she just went with the idea of a stroll in a park, she only looked, she usually never bought” he answered. Zhan Yao hummed before he dipped his head.

“Thank you” he thanked. Mr. Shen nodded before he stood up and walked over to his son, kneeling down and picking up a bowl of rice soup.

“Hey, you need to eat” he murmured, carefully scooping up a spoon of soup and holding it to his son’s mouth. As he ate, Zhan Yao watched, a small smile on his face.

~*~*~*~*~

A little while later, Zhan Yao was sitting in a rather expensive daycare, surrounded by children. As he laughed and played with them, a young man soon entered the daycare and walked over to where he and the children were playing.

“Yangyang” he called out, making Zhan Yao and a little boy look up before the little boy, Yangyang, ran over to him, hugging him tightly.

“Papa!” he greeted. The young man laughed and patted his head.

“Are you having fun?” he asked. Yangyang nodded, making the young man smile before he gave him a gentle nudge.

“Go play a little longer” he instructed. Yangyang nodded and went back to play with the other children as Zhan Yao stood up and walked over to the young man.

“Dr. Zhan. What are you doing here?” the young man asked. Zhan Yao huffed.

“I was in the area this afternoon for work so I came to see Yangyang” he explained. The young man nodded as Zhan Yao sighed.

“My mother bought two tickets for Disney. She said, for Yangyang’s birthday, she’d like to take him there and have some fun” he explained. The young man hummed.

“On his birthday, I was planning to have a birthday party for him at home. I hadn’t had the time to tell you yet” he explained. Zhan Yao raised an eyebrow as the young man smiled slightly.

“If you come, Yangyang will be so happy” he explained. Zhan Yao smiled thinly before he took a threatening step forward.

“Let me just remind you of something, Cheng Xiaoqing. Yangyang is not _your_ son, he is _my_ son. You do not get to speak for him” he hissed, eyes flicking to black. The young man, Cheng Xiaoqing, looked at him with wide eyes, just as Yangyang ran over to them and tugged on Zhan Yao’s coat.

“Daddy, you’re going to come to my party on Friday, right?” he asked, looking up at him. Zhan Yao looked down and smiled.

“Of course I am” he assured, gently petting Yangyang’s hair before he turned and looked at Cheng Xiaoqing.

“You can expect me there” he deadpanned before he looked down at Yangyang again.

“I have to go now. I’ll see you on Friday, okay?” he stated. Yangyang grinned and threw his arms around him, giving him a hug goodbye before he turned and headed back to play with his friends. While he was playing with his friends, Zhan Yao turned and walked (almost glided) past Chen Xiaoqing and out the door, leaving Cheng Xiaoqing stunned and almost a little terrified.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you guys enjoy this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


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